All reader reviews by Jill P
East Street
A stylish interior and cheerful, helpful service, but let down by disappointing food. Although the menu looks varied and interesting, the dishes I tried did not live up to their descriptions. A starter of corn fritters was bland, enlivened only by its vinegary peanut dipping sauce, and a veggie Pad Thai main course was tasteless in the extreme: I had to resort to liberal use of the bottle of chilli sauce on the table to give it any kick at all. Malaysian black rice pudding had the gloopiness of coconut milk, but not much actual taste of coconut, although it was probably the most interesting course of the three. Perhaps I just made unlucky choices?
The waiting staff seem very keen to make sure everyone is happy: it's a shame their enthusiasm isn't reflected in more of the dishes. Prices are reasonable, but as things stand, you'd get more flavour for your money at Busaba or Wagamama.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Overall rating 
Food 5 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 6
KIN
I popped in after work for a quick meal and was impressed by both the food and the friendly service. As a veggie, I particularly appreciated the fact that they could tell me which dishes contained shrimp paste or fish sauce and which didn't; a rare thing with Thai-style restaurants! The dishes that I tried were straightforward but had an excellent depth of flavour; definitely a cut above the average chain noodle restaurants, but with comparably good-value prices.
The only downside is that much of Leather Lane closes down after the business day is over, meaning that they're currently not pulling in the evening trade they deserve, although lunchtimes seem to be busier. Hopefully word of mouth will change things, because the quality of the food deserves a wider audience.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Overall rating 
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 8
Barrio Bars to open a new site in Shoreditch next month (via Caterer) -